By Charles Boehm
Justin Ellis already idolized Antoine Griezmann long before they took the field together for Orlando City; the Lions’ teenage homegrown has admired the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner’s heroics for France and Atlético Madrid since he was a child.
Somehow, though, Grizi dialed up his aura points even further when he told Ellis exactly how a key sequence would unfold during his MLS debut, a 4-0 rout of the San Jose Earthquakes, right down to their joint execution of his famous ‘Hotline Bling’ goal celebration.
“A couple days before the San Jose game,” Ellis recounted to MLSsoccer.com on Thursday, “during training he was telling me, when you assist me against San Jose, we're going to do this celebration, and somehow he called it – and then I assisted him, and then we ended up doing his signature celebration. That was a pretty sick moment.
“It's like he literally predicted the future. It was insane.”
One of us
The frontline duo aim to go dancing again this weekend as the Lions host Evander and resurgent FC Cincinnati in Matchday 20's Walmart Saturday Showdown at Inter.co Stadium (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV). And as we learned after that road win, neither Ellis nor any of their colleagues needed many reminders about Griezmann’s celly game.
The club’s social-media team posted a video from the locker room in which veterans Robin Jansson and Maxime Crépeau reenacted his Hotline Bling and video game-inspired ‘Take the L’ dances as Grizi received the match ball for his performance amid loud chanting of his name, driving home just how high the vibes are around Orlando lately.
The French attacker’s star power is evident. Yet the paradox is that he became one of the guys almost instantly, seemingly upon arrival last month despite being, as Ellis phrased it, “for all of us on the team, probably the best player all of us have ever played with.”
Turns out, Orlando’s most accomplished player and most recognizable face is also their most approachable.
“One thing that I would really point out about Grizi specifically is just his humanness,” said right back Griffin Dorsey. “As much as he's a star, it's very easy to be in a room with Grizi and feel like he's just another human being. You're not staring at him, going, oh my gosh, that's Antoine Griezmann, the guy who was playing semifinals in [UEFA] Champions League less than six months ago, or a guy who's won a World Cup, or who played at the highest levels for as long as he has.
“He's a very humble guy, and that allows him to connect with his teammates super well.”
Or in Ellis’ words: “He's so normal and down-to-earth, and he's such a nice person.”
In essence, it’s sparked a collective reinvention, what Crépeau called “a renewal of energy in the group” during a conversation with MLSsoccer.com at the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime.
Team banter
Griezmann’s quick chemistry with the homegrown, one of the squad’s youngest players, formed not just on the training ground but in their shared love for EA Sports FC, the iconic video game still widely known among players by its old shorthand, ‘FIFA.’
Grizi does not hesitate to use his own digital self from his Atlético Madrid days, which has given the youngsters around him some surreal moments.
“He uses himself – because we use the old FIFA, so he uses Atlético Madrid,” laughed Ellis. “I mean, it's pretty insane. Obviously he has a good card, because he's really good, but when you see him using himself, it’s kind of crazy. … He's literally sitting next to you, playing FIFA against you, and it's like, bro, what are you doing on the screen? It doesn't make sense! He's great.”
Those two are part of a cluster of about half a dozen Lions who use the game’s ‘Pro Clubs’ feature to play together on the same team, though road trips often involve some heated head-to-head matches that even the non-participants occasionally have to intervene in.
“They are nonstop yelling and screaming, honestly to a point where some of us have to be like, ‘hey, guys, quiet down,’” revealed Dorsey, who for his part connected with Griezmann over yerba mate, the herbal drink introduced to them by South American teammates at Houston Dynamo FC and Atleti.
“We're in a hotel screaming bloody murder about a goal that was scored in FIFA; it's quite comical," Dorsey continued. "And honestly, it's amazing, especially from a group standpoint and a team standpoint. We're a team that wants to get results, and I feel like those are the types of things that are super important in a team environment to get results.”
Forward progress
Griezmann’s transformative effect is easy to see on the pitch. The previously basement-dwelling side are 3W-2L-1D across all competitions since his arrival, climbing towards the Eastern Conference’s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs places with drastically increased style and swagger.
The Frenchman has already notched two goals, one assist and a whopping 14 chances created in his first six appearances for the Lions. Perhaps his weightiest statistic so far, though, is the nearly seven miles he ran in his debut, leading his new team in ground coverage right out of the gates, a powerful example of defensive commitment that has spread through the group like wildfire.
“That shows maturity. That shows humility, just to work off the ball and on the ball,” noted winger Tyrese Spicer after Orlando’s 1-0 win over East-leading Nashville SC. “It shows, no matter where you are, you could keep working and push yourself, push the team. Because you’re seeing Grizi doing that, that would force you to just be like, I need to run back as well, too. No matter how big you are, if you're a DP or not, we work together.
“Everyone's buzzing. Everyone's buzzing in the locker room. The morale is up.”
A clever creator with soccer IQ beyond his years, Ellis freely admits he “just hates defending” by nature, but found Griezmann’s tigerish spirit infectious, particularly within the assertive, high-tempo game model interim head coach Martín Perelman has installed.
“He does the work on both sides of the ball, and that's what a real superstar is, you know?” said Ellis.
"Seeing him, how he runs on defense, it's super contagious, and it makes me want to defend, which is something incredible. He's just a super good role model for me, on the field and off the field.”
Trophy hunt
Griezmann’s galvanizing impact has the Lions dreaming big. Dorsey compares their current outlook to the 2023 Houston side he helped power to a US Open Cup trophy – Orlando will duel Columbus in that tournament’s semifinals next month – and a deep run in the postseason.
“One thing that sticks out most about that year was how slow we started that season, and how strong we finished it,” he recalled. “I've seen so many things happen throughout my career that are so unexplainable. I would just say at this point, this team is capable of absolutely everything that we have in front of us.
“We're still in the Open Cup, and then pushing for playoffs, there really is no ceiling for what this team is capable of. And I can't wait to continue to be a part of it."